By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
USA Swimming ended its year-long search for a new CEO on Thursday, announcing Kevin Ring as its new leader 371 days after Tim Hinchey resigned from his post in August 2024.
Ring heads to USA Swimming after more than 12 years in the golf industry, spending a decade with the PGA of America before transitioning into his role as the President at Legends Golf in 2022.
At the PGA of America, Ring served as the Chief Marketing Officer for two years, from 2013 to 2015, before being promoted to Chief Revenue Officer, a position he held for eight years.
As a non-profit organization, the PGA of America has publicly available Form 990s that can give us some insight into how the organization fared during Ring’s time there.
PGA of America Revenue, Ring’s Salary (2013-23)
| Year | Revenue | Salary (Other Earnings) | Ring’s Total Earnings |
| 2023 | $129,421,822 | $420,823 ($4,162) | $424,985 |
| 2022 | $192,132,824 | $633,776 ($57,092) | $690,868 |
| 2021 | $118,208,368 | $618,511 ($62,650) | $681,161 |
| 2020 | $94,369,726 | $544,922 ($62,418) | $607,340 |
| 2019 | $127,720,415 | $568,864 ($61,471) | $630,335 |
| 2018 | $98,705,402 | $558,314 ($65,210) | $623,524 |
| 2017 | $128,621,234 | $533,143 ($60,677) | $593,280 |
| 2016 | $78,706,460 | Not Listed | – |
| 2015 | $108,220,019 | $437,260 ($32,269) | $469,529 |
| 2014 | $82,252,120 | $447,031 ($14,980) | $462,011 |
| 2013 | $91,071,509 | Not Listed | _ |
The information shows that the PGA of America’s revenue saw a fairly significant increase during his time with the organization, though it was up-and-down year-to-year. After generating just over $91 million in 2013 and $82 million in 2014, the PGA of America jumped over $100 million in 2015 ($108 million) and then reached new heights with $128.6 million in 2017 and $192.1 million in 2022.
Ring’s salary also saw a steady increase throughout his time with the organization, reaching over $633K in 2022 (and over $690K in total compensation. He transitioned into his role with Legends Golf during the 2023 Fiscal Year, which likely explains why his salary was significantly lower than in previous years.
As for the membership growth of the PGA of America during Ring’s tenure, the specific numbers aren’t publicly available, though the organization has consistently marketed itself and/or reported a range of 29,000 to 30,000 members from 2013 to 2023.
Ring joins USA Swimming with the organization coming off a record-breaking revenue marker of $51.0 million in the 2024 Fiscal Year, up from $45.2 million in 2023 and a massive 74.7% increase from the $29.2 million generated in 2022.
Read more on Ring and his hiring at USA Swimming here.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Looking Into New USA Swimming CEO Kevin Ring’s Performance At PGA of America
